Technology News Updates

The U.S. Department of Transportation last week launched a test to determine if trucks, cars and buses equipped with wireless devices that allow the vehicles and highway infrastructure to “talk” to each other will prevent crashes, and whether such connected vehicle technology should be required on all vehicles.

MINNEAPOLIS — Xata Corp. announced last week it changed its name to XRS Corp. and unveiled its next-generation platform focused on mobile devices rather than hard-wired, on-board computers.

Cobra Electronics Corp. said it has unveiled its latest truck-specific navigation system as well as a new citizens band radio.

American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council will hold its 2012 Fall Meeting and National Technician Skills Competition Sept. 10-13 in Pittsburgh.

Transportation software provider Xata Corp recently cut 29 jobs in a step to “better align” its workforce with its mobile-based strategy, the company said in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Logistics software provider Descartes Systems Group said it has signed an agreement to purchase Integrated Export Systems Ltd. for about $35 million in U.S. dollars.

One of the core business-to-business communications tools in trucking — electronic data interchange — is undergoing a period of expansion, even as its core functionality remains largely unchanged.

SAN DIEGO — Qualcomm currently is developing an application for Android smart phones and tablets, a company official announced at Qualcomm’s Vision 2012 Management Conference.

Trucking technology providers Vigillo and Magellan have launched new products designed to help carriers comply with safety regulations and improve navigation.

SAN DIEGO — By pulling together broad swaths of diverse data through a predictive modeling tool, carriers can uncover safety risks that probably would have gone unnoticed otherwise, fleet safety officials said.